Y 


/5^2_ 


'J  L-^ 

H  IRineteen  l^ear’s  IReview. 


THE  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS  OF  THE  CUM¬ 
BERLAND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  1880-1899. 


By  Mrs.  J.  C.  McClurkin,  Ex-Corresponding  Secretary. 


“What  a  privilege  to  have  lived  during  the  revival  of 
1300,”  a  co-worker  once  said  to  me,  as  she  reviewed  the 
history  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  “A  far 
greater  privilege  to  have  lived  and  labored  eighty  years 
later,”  was  my  answer.  Our  grandmothers,  the  mothers, 
wives  and  daughters  of  those  great  men,  who  laid  the 


1 


foundation  of  our  denomination,  did  their  part  faithfully 
and  well,  but  to  the  women  who  have  lived  and  served 
since  1880  was  given  the  greater  privilege  of  actually  carry¬ 
ing  the  bread  and  water  of  life  to  those  who  have  never 
heard  the  sweet  story  of  Christ’s  love. 

One  year  more  of  service  will  mark  the  close  of  our 
second  decade,  and  it  is  with  thanksgiving  that  we  glance 
at  the  work  of  our  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions,  noting  some 
of  the  results  accomplished  through  its  agency. 

We  are  not  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  prior  to  the  organi¬ 
zation  of  this  board,  women  in  different  places  were  con¬ 
sidering  these  things,  and  that  several  local  so- 
1878-9.  cieties  had  been  formed,  remitting  funds 
through  the  Assembly’s  Board  of  Missions,  or 
perhaps  in  some  instances  through  the  American  Board. 
Many  of  us  had  friends,  members  of  other  denominations 
who  were  laboring  in  the  Orient,  and  when  we  met  in  our 

2 


various  church  gatherings  we  talked  of  the  work  they  were 
doing,  and  it  was  thought  that  what  has  been  done  can 
be  done,  and  that  if  our  sister  churches  could  support 
representatives  abroad,  so  could  we. 

But  a  plea  coming  from  the  Hails,  our  first  missionaries 
to  Japan,  for  female  helpers,  was  the  beginning.  Their 

Openings  earnest  words  aroused  a  deep  interest  in  the 
Abroad,  hearts  and  consciences  of  those  reading  them. 
The  Spirit  prompted  action  and  it  was  with  no  small 
degree  of  confidence  and  assurance  of  success  that  W.  J. 
Darby,  D.D.,  and  the  ladies  of  the  First  Church  of  Evans¬ 
ville,  Ind.,  invited  a  meeting  of  the  women  of  the  entire 
denomination  to  convene  with  the  General  Assembly  in 
that  city  in  May,  1880,  to  confer  regarding  the  organization 
of  a  Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  which  at  the 
close  of  the  first  decade  was  changed  to  the  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions,  including  work  both  home  and  foreign. 


3 


MISS  ELLA  GARDNER. 
Japan. 


4 


MISS  SALLIE  ALEXANDER. 
Japan. 


Seventy-five  women  puesent!  Of  course  their  hearts’ 
desire  was  accomplished,  and  those  who  had  a  part  in  the 

services  of  ^those  May  days,  will  never 
May  27,  1880.  forget  the  precious  hours;  the  inspiring 

words  of  Mrs.  Rhea  and  Mrs.  Sturgis, 
who  having  each  labored  on  mission  soil,  spoke  from  rich 
experience.  Yes,  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
was  organized,  and  Evansville,  Ind,,  decided  upon  as  the 
most  suitable  place  for  headquarters.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  Mrs.  A.  M.  Drennan,  the  third  missionary  adopted 
by  this  board,  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Per¬ 
manent  Organization. 

Of  the  seven  women  chosen  to  serve  as  members  of  the 
board,  four  are  still  living.  One  of  these,  Mrs.  Darby, 
Original  has  had  the  joy  of  continuous  service  since 
Members,  the  organization.  Three  have  heard  the 
Father’s  “Well  done,’’  and  have  entered  into  “the  cloud  of 

6 


«  *  I  f 

witnesses.”  Later  the  members  of  the  board  were  increased 
to  nine,  and  as  our  leaders  have  fallen  other  names  have 
been  substituted,  those  who  form  the  present  board  as 
well  as  a  number  who  served  for  a  limited  term.  We  would 
be  glad  to  mention  all  the  faithful  women  identified  with 
this  work  at  present,  and  especially  those  of  early  years, 
when  such  service  was  not  so  popular  even  as  it  is  now. 
Some  have  gone  to  the  front,  some  moved  out  of  the 
territory,  while  numbers  have  reached  that  better  country. 
Down  through  the  nineteen  years  we  come,  and  how  we 
would  gladly  linger  in  memory  over  many  sacred  ex¬ 
periences,  but  a  review  limited  to  a  few  hundred  words 
forbids.  On  that  27th  of  May,  1880,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Ruston  con¬ 
sented  to  lead  us,  if  the  women  of  the 
Presidents,  church  would  give  her  their  support;  and 
with  faithfulness  she  served  as  President 
for  eleven  years,  resigning  when  obliged  to  leave  Evans- 

6 


ville.  She  has  since  been  known  to  us  as  President 
Emeritus.  Mrs.  W.  J.  Darby  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy 
and  during  the  nineteen  years  of  her  connection  with  the 
work  she  has  left  her  impress.  Surely  we  hav©  been 
blessed  when  we  recall  the  fact  that  our  leaders  have  been 
able  to  continue  so  long  with  us. 


Mrs.  N.  A.  Lyon,  chosen  Treasurer  at  the  organization, 
is  now  at  work  in  Japan;  yet  it  seems  but  yesterday  since 
we  heard  her  present  her  second  financial 
Treasurer,  statement  at  the  annual  meeting  in  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.,  with  her  characteristic  earnest¬ 
ness  and  enthusiasm,  the  total  receipts  being  $2,894.52. 
Since  the  close  of  the  third  year’s  work,  the  one  filling  the 
office  of  Corresponding  Secretary  has  also  acted  as  guardian 
of  our  finances.  , 


7 


MISS  JENNIE  FREELAND. 
Japan. 


8 


The  office  of  Recording  Secretary  has  been  held  by  five 
different  women,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Castlen,  the  present  workman, 
having  continued  longest  in  service.  The 
Secretaries,  work  of  the  Corresponding  Secretary  has 
been  looked  after  by  four  women,  one  hold¬ 
ing  the  position  two  years,  another  ten;  Mrs.  Anna  For¬ 
sythe  Farr  working  two  years  and  Miss  Hollingsworth,  our 
present  Secretary,  five  years.  It  is  to  the  reports  presented 
from  year  to  year  by  these  women  that  we  who  write 
history  in  coming  days  must  refer.  How  little  the  average 
auxiliary  member  understands  of  the  anxiety,  and  the  labor 
— physical  and  mental,  which  these  women  must  endure. 
At  the  close  of  the  second  year’s  work,  it  seemed  necessary 
to  make  a  division  of  labor  so  that  the  office  of  Foreign 
Secretary  was  created.  Mrs.  D.  S.  Ragon,  who  by  the  way 
was  the  first  Corresponding  Secretary,  also  became  the  first 
Foreign  Secretary.  This  position  has  been  held  by  Mrs. 


9 


J.  E.  Williamson  for  the  past  eight  years.  To  the  daily 
demands  of  varied  and  even  extensive  correspondence, 
home  and  foreign,  through  all  the  years,  these  different 
secretaries  have  responded  with  promptness  and  efficiency. 
The  life  of  each  member  of  the  board  is  so  interwoven 
with  the  work  that  they  all  form  a  part  of  it,  and  each 
has  had  her  place  and  part  in  lengthening  the  cords  and 
strengthening  the  stakes. 

Mrs.  Darby  cared  for  our  first  editorial  work  as  a  few 
pages  had  been  kindly  given  us  by  the  Assembly’s  Board 
Printers’  in  the  “Missionary  Record.’’  After  a  few  years 
Ink.  it  seemed  best  to  combine  this  with  the  work 
of  the  Corresponding  Secretary,  which  arrangement  con¬ 
tinued  until  about  1892,  when  the  services  of  Mrs.  A.  G. 
Bergen,  of  Mattoon,  Ill.,  were  secured.  She  is  still  in 
charge  of  the  Woman’s  Department  of  the  “Missionary 
Record.”  One  of  the  brightest  missionaries  we  ever  sent 

10 


forth  was  the  children’s  paper,  the  “Missionary  Banner.” 
Its  life  was  short  but  its  influence  is  still  felt.  It  was 
edited  by  Mrs.  D.  M.  Harris,  who  has  ever  been  a  staunch 
friend  and  helper  for  woman’s  work.  The  “Monthly  Topic” 
leaflet  has  had  its  place,  while  thousands  of  leaflets  on 
varied  missionary  subjects  have  been  sent  out  since  those 
little  messengers  of  our  first  year’s  existence. 

Auxiliaries,  through  18  States.  The  synodical  and  pres- 
Etc.  byterial  officers  have  had  a  large  share  in 
the  development  of  the  work  of  this  board,  for  without 
them  and  those  who  bear  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day 
in  auxiliary  societies,  the  sum  total  would  be  smaller. 

In  each  annual  report,  since  1882,  has  appeared  the  name 
of  Miss  Julia  Leavitt,  she  and  Miss  Alice  Orr,  now  Mrs. 
First  J.  W.  Laughlin,  being  oUr  first  repre- 

Missionaries.  sentatives  to  Japan.  More  than  seventeen 
years’  continuous  service  makes  Miss  Leavitt  our  oldest; 

U 


MISS  JULIA  LEAVITT. 
Japan. 


MRS.  N.  A.  LYON. 
Japan. 


13 


missionary,  though  other  missionaries  are  older  in  years. 
The  societies  now  pledged  to  our  work  number  835,  with 
a  total  membership  of  10,412.  These  are  distributed 
Dependent  on  our  Woman’s  Board  are  our  missionaries 
with  their  native  teachers  and  Bible  women.  These  con- 
Home  and  secrated  lives  find  their  daily  work  among 
Foreign,  all  classes  in  different  climes,  from  the  moun¬ 
tain  districts  of  our  own  land  to  our  Mexican  neighbors, 
on  to  the  red  man’s  wife  and  children,  not  passing  unheeded 
the  Chinese  of  America  as  we  cross  the  Pacific  to  Japan 
and  China.  We  have  been  identified  with  boarding  and 
day  schools,  Bible  training  classes,  medical  and  kinder¬ 
garten  work,  etc.  During  these  nineteen  years,  twenty-five 
different  missionaries  have  been  sent  out,  thirteen  to  Japan, 
one  to  China,  four  to  Mexico,  five  to  the  Mountains  of 
North  Carolina,  one  to  the  Indian  Territory,  one  employed 
in  Chinatown,  San  Francisco. 

13 


One  second  to  review  the  work  of  almost  two  decades, 
and  to  look  back  at  the  dollars  and  cents  which  have 
passed  through  the  Woman’s  Board  these  228 
Receipts,  months.  The  total  receipts  are  $191,296.38. 

The  largest  portion  has  been  given  by  Aux¬ 
iliary  societies,  still  a  large  amount  came  from  Young 
Ladies’  societies.  Mission  bands,  Christian  Endeavor  and 
Junior  Endeavor  societies,  with  individual  gifts.  Yes,  some 
came  from  the  mission  fields,  the  missionaries  themselves 
giving  of  their  allowance. 

The  list  of  life  members  numbers  212.  Some  are  in  the 
harvest  field  to-day,  while  others  have  been  called  to 
Life  higher’  service.  These  women  pledge  their 
Members,  prayers  and  hearty  support  along  all  lines  to 
the  Woman’s  Board  work.  As  I  look  back  over  a  few 
years  of  service  as  treasurer,  I  wish  all  might  see  as  I 
§ee,  for  to  me  these  figures  represent  not  simply  paper, 


14 


silver  and  gold,  but  heart  gifts.  We  recall  loving  letters 
enclosing  small  amounts;  sometimes  a  few  pennies,  left  by 
the  little  one  whom  the  Father  had  taken  to  himself; 
again  the  earnings  of  a  seamstress.  We  still  have  in  our 
possession  a  little  red  box,  which  was  found  after  the  owner 
was  not,  for  Grod  had  taken  her,  marked  for  the  Woman’s 
Board  and  containing  a  single  gold  dollar.  Often,  very 
often,  it  has  been  a  long  cherished  keepsake.  Yet  many 
women  have  given  largely  of  their  abundance,  while  others 
have  left  legacies  great  and  small — they  being  dead  yet 
speak.  Had  we  thought  of  God’s  great  goodness  unto  us?‘ 
During  all  these  years  not  one  of  our  representatives  has 
fallen.  A  wonderful  record.  A  wonderful  blessing! 

Even  before  our  first  young  ladies  set  foot  on  Japanese 
soil,  the  wives  of  our  missionaries  were  planning  as  our 
Other  helpers,  and  all  along,  the  co-workers  sent  out 

Helpers,  by  our  Assembly’s  Board  have  given  ready 


15 


and  no  one  excepting  thoise  who  have  experienced  such 
service  can  know  of  the  varied  duties  to  be  performed. 
This  “line  upon  line”  work  has  been  greatly  blessed  and 
results  are  not  difficult  to  count.  But  in  giving  a  “snap 
shot”  of  “other  helpers,”  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  one 
whom  we  ought  to  name  “everybody’s  helper,”  Miss  Lula 
Durham,  the  Board’s  stenographer.  As  a  sweet-spirited,  ef¬ 
ficient,  faithful  worker,  she  has  few  if  any  equals.  The 
name  of  Mr.  S.  B.  Sansom,  auditor  for  seventeen  years,  must 
have  a  place  in  the  history  of  this  work,  and  though  limited 
space  forbids  the  mention  of  his  many  excellent  qualifica¬ 
tions,  we  consider  his  fund  of  patience  inexhaustible.  The 
fascinating  story  of  the  work  accomplished  on  mission 
fields  has  been  given  year  after  year  by  those  fresh  from  the 
front,  who  speak  as  eye  and  ear  witnesses.  And  how  de¬ 
lightful  to  note  the  eagerness  with  which  a  missionary  re¬ 
turns  to  her  field  after  a  sojourn  of  a  few  months  in  Ameri- 

18 


ca!  We  heard  of  ohe  Saying  that  “no  queen  ever  went  to 
her  coronation  with  more  joy  than  I  return  to  my  work.”  I 
should  overlook  an  important  factor  in  the  advantages  of 
this  work,  did  I  fail  to  mention  its  influence  on  the  women 
at  home.  How  our  hearts  have  been  enlarged  and  our  vis¬ 
ion  broadened.  We  have  learned  our  neighbor’s  needs,  and 
extended  a  helping  hand. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  a  work  so  far-reaching  in  influence 
should  have  enkindled  enthusiasm  in  the  hearts  of  women 
and  stirred  into  flame  every  gift  of  God  within  her?  Think 
of  information  diffused,  church  interests  and  loyalty  quick¬ 
ened,  sympathies  deepened,  views  broadened.  They  used 
to  fear  we  would  be  “very  unsystematic”  and  perhaps 
not  “plan  intelligently,”  and  as  to  “book-keeping,”  well, 
that  was  a  question.  Nevertheless  we  close  these  nineteen 
years  with  a  work  as  thoroughly  organized  and  systematized 
as  any  to  be  found  within  denominational  walls;  but 


19 


through  it  all,  we  have  many  times  had  to  stop  looking 
backward  and  forward  and  look  up  to  Him  who  has  been 
our  guide  and  counselor  from  the  first  moment  of  our 
■existence. 

The  annual  conventions  have  always  been  meetings  of 
great  spiritual  power,  and  as  we  look  at  our  yesterdays  we 
thank  God  anew  for  this  far-reaching  work,  stretching  out 
Its  hands  to  all  classes,  leading  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  we  realize  that  it  is  only  when  the  “mists  have  rolled 
away”  that  there  will  be  revealed  unto  us  the  fullness  of 
the  spiritual  growth,  the  joys  unspeakable,  the  hallelujahs 
that  have  arisen  to  Christ,  the  world’s  Savior,  during  these 
years  of  service. 

Such,  briefiy  told,  are  a  few  of  the  results  of  that  organi¬ 
zation  which  bears  the  name  of  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Mis¬ 
sions  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 

Evansville,  Ind. 


20 


